Since it was Palmyra’s first-ever appearance in the state volleyball playoffs, it is predictable the team may have some jitters early in its game against Nanticoke Area.
After falling behind by a few points to Nanticoke Area in the first set, that seemed to be the case.
Rather than calling a timeout, Cougars head coach Clark Sheaffer decided to let the team find its rhythm on its own, and the decision paid off.
Melanie Shaeffer had nine kills, Kirstin West had 26 assists and Palmyra defeated the Trojanettes 3-0 in the opening round of the PIAA class 3A tournament.
Alyssa Lewis led Nanticoke Area with four kills and Jenna Lipowski had eight assists.
“For some reason, we always start out slow to feel the other team out,” Palmyra coach Clark Shaeffer said. “Sometimes we don’t play on point right away. I just knew this is a very common thing with this team; then, once they get their groove, they roll.”
The top seed out of District 2, the Trojanettes were coming off their first district title since 2005 after defeating Crestwood 3-2 in the championship game.“Real good season,” Nanticoke Area coach Debbie Gavin said. “Our girls truly had to work hard to get what they got out of this season. By no means were we super athletic or anything like that, so every day we worked hard in the gym and we got to this level.”
Nanticoke Area jumped ahead 2-0 in the first set and held the lead until it was 8-8.
After that, the Cougars scored 12 unanswered points and ended up winning the set 25-11.
“We were kind of nervous,” Melanie Shaeffer said. “After a while, we got comfortable, just played our game and we did pretty well.”
Palmyra dominated the second set and did not trail at any point after scoring the first six points. While Nanticoke Area did hold a 4-3 lead at one point in the third set, it was to no avail, as the Cougars took the win 25-15.
“If we could at least get some passes down to our setter, I think we could’ve run a better offense, but that wasn’t happening,” Gavin said. “(Palmyra’s) target serving was probably their best weapon tonight.”
Palmyra advances to the second round, where it will face a familiar team, District 3’s West York.
The teams squared off Nov. 3 in the semifinals of the district tournament, with the Cougars winning in five sets.
“That was a battle,” Clark Shaeffer said of the previous matchup. “One of the most exciting games I’ve seen since I’ve been coaching. It should be a lot of fun.”

PALMYRA 25 25 25—3 NANTICOKE AREA 11 23 15 —0

11/4/2016
District 2 girls volleyball: Nanticoke Area prevails in 3A final
mbufano@citizensvoice.com

As Thursday night got later, intensity reached greater and greater levels inside a raucous Marts Center.
At the stroke of 9:50 p.m., Nanticoke Area committed a service error, breathing a fifth set and life — more life — into the District 2 Class 3A girls volleyball championship.But with its season on the line, Nanticoke Area weathered the storm and regained the form it had used to build an early lead, ultimately winning the title match, 3-2, against Crestwood.
“We haven’t done this in a long time,” said Nanticoke Area head coach Debbie Gavin, whose Trojanettes previously competed in Class 2A with perennial power Holy Redeemer. “I can honestly say that we have worked really, really hard all season to get to this point. I think maybe we peaked at the right time, and we matured at the right time. I’m really proud of my girls. They worked hard yesterday at practice; they were all on the same page today.”
The third-seeded Trojanettes (16-4) — who swept their quarterfinal and semifinal matches — got off to a nice start, winning the first set, 25-21. They finished by overcoming a two-point deficit, riding Codi Hornlein’s five consecutive service points to the game win.
Hornlein was also serving at the end of the second set, which Nanticoke Area won, 25-22.
But No. 1 Crestwood (16-3) dominated the third set, taking a 5-4 lead and never giving it back, finishing strong with Marissa Margalis recording a block and kill on the final two points in a 25-13 win.
The teams tied a combined 16 times in the first three sets, and a match-high 10 times in set four.
Kasey Radginski strung together three straight kills for the Trojanettes in the middle of the fourth set, putting Nanticoke Area ahead 16-15.
But the teams tied at points 17, 18 and 20, as Crestwood ultimately fended off the attack to win 25-22.
Then came the fifth and deciding set, determining which team would advance to play in Tuesday’s first round of the PIAA playoffs against the No. 2 team out of District 3.
Jilann Baron kick-started Nanticoke Area with a kill to take a 1-0 lead.
But it was closely contested from there, with Crestwood’s Sereina Brenhoffer burying a kill to tie the game at 11. Crestwood took the next point, but Radginski came through with a block to tie at 12.
The Trojanettes then reeled off three straight points to close, finishing on a Jenna Lipowski ace and Radginski block.
“She saved it for the very end, didn’t she?” Gavin said of Radginski. “She kept us in suspense for those couple games and then — at the end — sealed the deal.”

Nanticoke Area 25 25 13 22 15 — 3
Crestwood 21 22 25 25 12 — 2

9/6/2016
WVC Girls Volleyball Preview
Citizens Voice

Nanticoke Area
Coach: Debbie Gavin
2015 record: 12-5

Players to watch: Seniors Jenna Lipowski (setter), Courtney Mazonis (libero) and Shyla Seesoltz (outside hitter) will all be back. A player to watch is 5-foot-8-inch sophomore Alyssa Lewis, who started as a freshman last season. Also, don’t sleep on 6-foot-1-inch junior outside hitter Kasey Radginski.

Coach’s outlook: “Were going to go to (Radginski). We just need to make sure they all click. This is a new system and a new team and it still needs to bind a bit more. Basically it’s a whole different lineup this season. We’re going to work on basic skills, get in a lot of reps and improve our athletic ability. I think we have to work (this year’s team) a little more than most of our teams. I take it one practice, one game at a time. The long-term goal is districts.”